Lawn-mower.



Patented may 20, |902.

E. H. CLIFFTUN.

LAwN MowEn. (Application led Aug. 1 7, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

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EUGENE H. CLIFFTON, OF LANSDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

LAWN-MO'WER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,173, dated May 20,1902.

Application filed August 17, 1901. Serial No. 72,360. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE H. CLIFFTON,`

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lansdale, in the county ofMontgomery and State of- Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Lawn-Mowers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in mowers, and more particularlylawn-mowers, and has for its object to provide an arrangement forsecurely holding the blades in position and at the same time to take upthe wear that is necessarily caused by the blades rubbing.

With this object in'view my invention has also for its object theprovision of an arrangement whereby the friction of the blades andattachment are reduced to a minimum; and a still further object is to soarrange the parts that thecut grass inpassing over the cutterbar will inno wise be obstructed, thus enabling the machine to be positive in itsoperation and with these objects in view my invention also consists inthe peculiar and novel arrangement and combination of parts, as will befully described in the following speci- Iication and pointed out in theclaims, reference being had to the drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is aperspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with myimprovement. Fig. 2 is a section plan of the same, the handle beingbroken away. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the iin ger-bar. Fig.eis a section of the same on about line 4 4 of Fig. 3.- Fig. 5 is adetailV cross-sectional-view on about the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 isa sectional elevation of one of the front supporting-wheels, the Viewbeing taken on about line 6 6 of Fig, 2. Fig. 7 is a detail section onthe line 7V 7 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 8 is a detail view illustrating amodified construction.

In constructing Aa mower with my improvements l provide a main frame A,which is preferably of one piece of metal bent at the middle to provideparallel sections A A', the

forward portions being bent downwardly andvr outwardly, as shown at A2A2, the extreme ends finally terminating in horizontally-parallelmembers A3 A3. In the horizontal sections A is journaled the maindrive-wheel B, Whose rim is provided upon the inner side with rack-teethb, into which meshes a pinion C, whose shaft isjournaled in one of thesec- Yfingers j', as shown.

tions A', and upon the outer end of the shaft is mounted a cam-wheel D,having a groove D'y arranged therein. This shaft is further strengthenedby a bracket a, arranged upon the exterior of the section A', andbetween the bracket and the parallel section of the frame the cam-wheelis located.-

, .To the front of the horizontal parallel members VA3 of the frame issecurely fastened the finger-bar. E of the cutter, having shortlongitudinal slots e e, as shown most. clearly in Figs-3 and4 of thedrawings.V Positioned upon the upper surface of the'iinger-bar E isthecutter-bar proper, F, having.` the usual The manner of securing thesetwo sections together forms an important feature of my invention, andwhileI have shown two separate fastenings I desire it understood thateither may. be used independently of the other,Y althoughl .'-prefertouse both in order to secure a more positive holder, and these springsare arranged aslfollows: To the under side of the cutter-bar F issecured by screws the ends of a fiat spring-bar G, the said endsprotruding through the 'slots e, formed in the lower or finger bar E,and'is adapted to bear against the latter to hold'the bars together,and'in order to reduce the friction between the spring and lower bar Iprovide the latter'with a :longitudinal recess-g, in which isadapted 'toplay a steel ball g'; It will be understood that the bar G travels withthe `cutter-bar, and by providingV the ballbearing the frictionbetweenthe said; bar and spring is reduced'to a minimum.- Suitably heldto the frame' -A are coiled' springsk H, which bearV at the forwardendsh against the upper surface of the cutter-bar,'while their rear ends h'terminate in angular-bentportions which are'held infrecessesformed'inthe said frame. These springs are preferably held upon the axles of thefront or supporting wheelsl, and in order that the wheels may be tightlyand firmly positionedfl prefer to form the inner'portions of the axlewith a sleeve fr', around which the coil yh2 Y of the springs is heldand which forms the tension of the said springs. i The forward ends h ofthe springs are enlarged and socketed to hold a ball 2 for the purposeof reducing friction,

as will be understood. The cutter-bar F is` also provided with shortlongitudinal slots f3,

in which lit lugs e3, carried by the lower bar, and by which the barsare held in a true position.

In order to reduce the friction between the bars E and F, I arrange intheir abutting faces, and preferably at their rear edges, grooves e4 andf4, in which are adapted to operate balls e5, and it will be seen bythis arrangement the rear portions of the said bars are separated,leaving only the front cutting surfaces or lingers to lie flat againsteach other, and I may state here that the inner faces of the lingers areconcaved, so as to provide a better cutting edge, as shown in Fig. 5.

In order to oscillate the upper or cutter bar I arrange upon the frontof one of the downwardly and forwardly projecting portions of the frameA bracket-arms J, in which is pivoted a lever K, whose forward end isloosely held in a bracket f5, carried by the cutterbar. The rear end ofthc lever is provided with a pin, over which is positioned a sleeve orroller that is designed to work in the groove formed in the wheel D. Itwill thus be seen that as the machine is pushed forward the pinion C isrevolved, and through the lnedium of the cam-wheel D and lever K motionis imparted to the cutter-bar. In practice I may find it desirable toprovide the pinion with a ratchet, so that the machine may be movedbackwardly without causing the cntter to operate; but as the handle ofthe machine maybe easily tilted downwardly to elevate the cutter it maybe propelled without cutting the grass, and therefore the use of thesaid ratchet is optional.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a modified arrangement of spring-clamp in whichthe finger-bar I has a bolt 2 or series of them projecting upwardlytherefrom and protruding through the slot or slots 3, formed in thecutter-bar 4, and upon the upper end of the bolt is positioned a spring5, which bears against a tension-nut (i and the top of the cutter. Itwill thus be seen by this construction that an equally effective devicemay be secured, although I prefer the construction and arrangement firstdescribed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a mowing-machine the combination of a frame having a drive-wheelheld thereon, a finger-bar held on the forward portion of the frame, acutter-bar positioned thereon, springs held on the frame and adapted forengagement with the cutter-bar, a spring-bar carried by thecutter-barand adapted for engagement with the fingerbar, ballsinterposed between t-he said springs and bars, substantially as shownand described.

2. In a cutter apparatus for mowing-machines, the combination of alinger-bar having slots arranged therein, a cutter-bar arranged upon thefinger-bar, a fiat spring havngits ends protrudingthrough the slots inthe said finger-bar and having a recess arranged in its upper face,- andan antifriction-ball held in the said recess and adapted to bear againstthe said finger-bar whereby the said bars are held together,substantially as shown and described. l

3. In a mowing-machine, the combination of a frame having a linger-barsecured thereto, of a cutting-bar held upon the said fingerbar, springscarried by the said frame and having their forward ends enlarged andrecessed, antifriction-balls held in the said recesses and adapted tobearv against the said cutter-bar, the said cutter-bar having slotsadapted to receive studs arranged on the said finger-bar and meanscarried by the said frame for operating the cutter-bar, substantially asshown and described.

4. In a mowing-machine, the combination of a frame, a drive-wheeljournaled therein, supporting-wheelsjournaled in the saidframe, acutting device arranged on the said frame in 4advance of the saidsupporting-wheels, springs held upon the journals of thesupporting-wheels, and having one end engaging the cutting device, andthe opposite ends engaging the frame, substantiallyas shown anddescribed.

5. In a mowing-machine, the combination of a frame, having a bracketheld thereon, a drive-wheel having gear-teeth journaled in the saidframe, a shaft carrying a sprocketwheel and cam-wheel journaled in thesaid frame and bracket, supporting-wheels jour- IOO naled on the saidframe, a finger-bar arranged on the said frame in advance of the saidsupporting-wheels, the said bar having longitudinal slots arrangedtherein, a cutting-bar having a spring-bar held thereto, the endsthereof protruding through the said slots, an antifriction-ballinterposed between the said spring-bar and finger-bar, the saidcuttingbar also having slots adapted to receive studs carried by thesaid finger-bar, springs coiled upon the journals of the saidsupportingwheels, each having one end held to the frame, the oppositeend thereof having a socket formed therein and adapted to hold anantifriction-ball, the said balls engaging the cutting-bar, and a leverheld in a bracket carried by the frame, and adapted for engagement withthe said cam-wheel and cuttingbar, substantially as shown and described.

6. Inacuttingdevice formowing-machincs, the combination of a linger-barand cutterbar, each having a recess formed in their contiguous surfacesand near their rear edges, antifriction-balls held in the said recessesand of such size as to separate the said bars at the rear edges andthrow the opposite edges into contact, substantially as shown and forthe purposes specified. v

EUGENE II. CLIFFTON.

Witnesses:

A. D. JOHNSON, MAZIE JOHNSON.

IIO

